Why Politics? 43% Say for Positive Change, 43% to Fend Off Government
Voters remain closely divided over whether their fellow countrymen get involved in politics to bring about needed change or to keep the government at bay.
Politics
Most Recent Releases
June 3, 2011
June 3, 2011
53% View Government As Threat To Individual Rights
Over half (53%) of Americans now believe the federal government is more of a threat to individual rights than a protector.
June 2, 2011
57% Would Rather Be Called Good Citizen Than A Patriot
Voters would rather be called a good citizen than a patriot, although they see little difference between the two labels. To be a good citizen, most agree it’s more important to do church and community work than to get involved in politics.
June 2, 2011
21% Say States Have Right To Secede
One-in-five Americans believe individual states have the right to break away from the country, although a majority doesn’t believe it will actually happen.
June 2, 2011
53% Say Major Cyberattack Should Be Viewed As Act of War
Voters express strong concern about the safety of America’s computer systems and think a major cyberattack on the United States should be grounds for forceful military retaliation.
June 2, 2011
Obama’s Full-Month Rating Increases Four Points in May
When tracking President Obama’s job approval on a daily basis people sometimes get so caught up in the day-to-day fluctuations that they miss the bigger picture. To look at the longer-term trends, Rasmussen Reports compiles the numbers on a full-month basis, and the results can be seen in the graphics below.
June 1, 2011
66% Worry Government Will Run Out of Money
Most Americans remain concerned about the federal government’s financial situation and think the majority of politicians want more of their money.
June 1, 2011
65% Say Those Who Hire Illegal Immigrants Bigger Problem Than Immigrants Themselves
When it comes to illegal immigration, voters see the job as more to blame than the job applicant.
May 31, 2011
Generic Republican Candidate 45%, Obama 43%
Voters continue to be almost evenly divided when asked if they want to reelect President Obama.
May 31, 2011
61% Favor A State Law That Would Shut Down Repeat Offenders Who Hire Illegal Immigrants
The U.S. Supreme Court late last week upheld the legality of an Arizona law cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and most voters support having a similar law in their own state.
May 31, 2011
NJ Voters Like Christie’s Budget Performance Better Than Obama’s
New Jersey voters give President Obama the edge over Governor Chris Christie in a hypothetical 2012 matchup, but they think their governor is doing a better job than the president when it comes to handling current budget problems.
May 30, 2011
51% Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 47% Say Measure Bad for the Country
The national health care law is still viewed as bad for the country by nearly half of U.S. voters, and most continue to favor repeal of the controversial measure.
May 28, 2011
What They Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls - Week Ending May 28, 2011
Voters still seem to share Ronald Reagan’s view that government is the problem, not the solution.
May 27, 2011
63% Say U.S. Society is Fair and Decent
Voters still believe U.S. society is fair and decent and tend to think President Obama doesn't agree with them.
May 27, 2011
53% Say Politics Involved in Government Response to Specific Disasters
While voters recognize the importance of the federal government’s role in disaster relief, many believe the response to a particular disaster may be politically motivated. There is also little confidence the government does a good job making sure relief money is distributed to all areas of need.
May 27, 2011
In New Jersey, It’s Obama 49%, Christie 44%
In Democratic-leaning New Jersey, both home state Governor Chris Christie and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are within single digits of President Obama in hypothetical 2012 election match-ups.
May 26, 2011
49% Consider Themselves Pro-Choice, 41% Pro-Life
A plurality of voters considers themselves pro-choice on the issue of abortion, but most still consider abortion morally unjust most of the time.
May 26, 2011
50% Expect U.S. Government To Go Bankrupt Before Budget Is Balanced
Voters clearly aren’t confident that their elected officials will wrestle federal spending under control. In fact, many now think the government’s more likely to go belly up.
May 26, 2011
GOP Voters Still More Critical of Their Congressmen Than Democrats Are
Republican voters are slightly less critical of the job their representatives in Congress are doing, but most still think the legislators are out of sync with the party base. Democratic voters, by contrast, are not as happy with the performance of their congressmen as they were a year ago.
May 25, 2011
46% Rate Obama’s Leadership Style As Good or Excellent
Positive ratings for President Obama’s leadership are at their highest level since January, but one-in-four voters still gives him poor marks in this area.
